Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal Bushfire Report
A message from our State President I have been asked to record my reactions to the bushfire events of February this year for this special report. Even after a time lapse of six months these reactions are still quite vivid and, at times, almost surreal. Let me put down a few of them in dot point form. •
The sense of trepidation: The days leading up to the Saturday were filled with uncertainty about the events to follow. High temperatures; a build up of warnings and preparations. A high degree of tension and nervousness.
•
Black Saturday: Highest temperature ever recorded; devastation; nature out of control; everyone in a state of shock. Unfolding slowly was the total scale of destruction unleashed by the fires.
•
The immediate aftermath: The death toll climbing as each day passes; families displaced; the shock sets in. The Society is in action providing immediate relief in a number of areas: people without food, clothing, toiletries, homes and family members.
•
First thing Monday: All parts of the St Vincent de Paul Society with an involvement in providing support to survivors get together for the first of the daily coordination meetings. The scale of the operation is somewhat daunting, but we are comforted by knowing that our members and volunteers are already operating on the ground. Donations of money and goods start to arrive. Sympathy and support from all States and Territories are offered. A generous property owner offers the Society the use of a 10,000 square metre warehouse for a month. Volunteers from all walks of life come to this warehouse to assist in unpacking, sorting and preparing goods for despatch.
•
Visiting the fire grounds: The rest of the week is spent visiting the affected areas and supporting our members and volunteers. Many have worked without rest since the fires started. Many have been affected by the loss of family and friends, or by their loss of property and possessions. The most vivid memory is the sight of a child’s ‘cubby house’ standing untouched with the house itself a complete wreck.
•
End of week one: Donations of goods and money flow in. Truck loads, trailers and containers roll in from Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and as far afield as Florida, USA. The warehouse is full – we have covered an area the size of the MCG playing field with donated goods. Funds come from all over Australia and overseas. Volunteers keep on coming – Scout troops, service organisations, families and individuals. Our soup van supporter ‘Tasty Trucks’ keeps everybody fed and watered.
•
Weeks following: By the end of the month, we will have moved everything from the warehouse. Many members working tirelessly in the fire-affected regions and nearly 3,000 volunteers have supported our work. We receive visits from the Premier of Victoria, Federal Ministers and Opposition members. Christine Nixon, translated from Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police to Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, also visits us. The harsh reality of moving from relief to recovery comes into focus.
•
-
Vinnies Centres in bushfire-affected areas provide distribution points for donated goods and support for survivors.
-
Once immediate needs of bushfire survivors are met, the thrust of our work will come when people rebuild their lives and return to their communities. We are in it for the long haul.
-
Various announcements at Federal and State Government level. Much offered in relief measures to those displaced. Our focus will be in the gap areas.
Now: The immediate trauma has passed but there are still survivors out in the community. Communities are coming back to life, but we remember those who are still scarred by the disaster itself. Even the vegetation is showing signs of re-growth. After all we’ve been through as a community we are being warned to brace for comparable situations next season. As Psalm 62 says: “We are a dry weary land without water.”
Jim Grealish State President
Victoria’s most devastating natural disaster Through the hope of children with their messages of support and the many financial and material aid donations from local, national and international communities, Victorians endured one of the State’s most devastating natural disasters on 7 February 2009, a day that has come to be known as Black Saturday. In those first difficult weeks, Society members, volunteers and staff immediately responded to the needs of those who required assistance. An appeal was established, Emergency Liaison Officers swung into action and following the generous donation of warehouse space in Rowville, the St Vincent de Paul Society implemented processes to collect, sort and distribute thousands of tonnes of material goods, with the support of up to 400 community volunteers each day. Vinnies Centres State Manager, Tony Thornton said, “It was the most amazing sight to see, hundreds of volunteers sorting through material donations in a space the size of the MCG.” Goods were then distributed to relief centres in fire-affected areas, while other organisations received daily inventory lists to request specific items to fulfil immediate needs of the survivors. While time has slowly passed since the initial shock of Black Saturday, Society personnel continue to provide practical assistance, material and financial aid, counselling, emotional support and referral services to those affected by the tragedy. While a great deal of assistance has already been given, the Society recognises that there is still much to be done. The effects of this disaster will be evident for years to come and we are committed to helping affected communities rebuild their lives. Our volunteers continue to respond in positive and creative ways. They are assisting families, some of whom have fallen through the cracks of the complex recovery system and are struggling every day to survive. Their work has been inspiring and humbling. We are also mindful that the demand for our normal welfare work is increasing due to the current financial crisis. The Society is in it for the long haul and our people will continue to assist in fire-affected communities for years to come.
400,000 hectares of land burnt out Overwhelming support The events of Black Saturday had a profound effect on a great number of people, well beyond the borders of the fire-affected regions. Day after day headlines screamed of the loss of life and devastation of property, towns and communities. Donations for bushfire survivors poured into Victoria from national and international sources. The magnitude of this was evident in the striking image of our 10,000 square metre warehouse in Rowville filled with material donations from across Australia and beyond. Combined with the rising total of financial donations for our Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal and the flood of volunteers wanting to know how they could help, the Society was overwhelmed by just how many felt the need to help the communities devastated by the bushfires. It is difficult to convey the magnitude of the support we received for those affected by the bushfires in words but the pictures tell a compelling story‌
173 Victorians lost their lives
78 communities devastated
2,029 homes destroyed
Vinnies responds Like all other organisations involved in assisting with the bushfire effort many of our staff, members and volunteers pitched in right across the State from day one. The response by the general public was overwhelming. Society members involved in bushfire relief have been very creative in their responses to people affected – supplying the cartage of water, paying vet fees, assisting families to relocate, providing petrol for tractors and giving vouchers for tools and work clothes. They have met with and listened to the harrowing stories of survivors in community hubs, during home visits when referrals are made from case workers and when contacted directly by people requesting assistance. Our members, guided by volunteer Emergency Liaison Officers, have been providing welfare relief in the major fire-affected areas - Bendigo, Gippsland, Kilmore, Wandong, Kinglake, Whittlesea, Yarra Valley and Marysville. Each Society region has devised local guidelines and is responding to specific local needs. This is how the Society lives its principle of subsidiarity – local conferences make their own decisions on how to assist their own community, within Society guidelines.
The St Vincent de Paul Society is assisting in the recovery phase by: • • • • • • • • •
Members and volunteers staffing relief desks at various community service hubs and other locations in the affected areas Responding to calls for assistance from survivors and case managers through our call centre Supporting families and individuals through home visits, usually organised within 24 hours Responding to needs and providing ongoing support over the long term Using local suppliers and businesses where possible to support the local economy Working with local schools to assist with education costs and support Responding to requests for food, water, educational expenses, transport, white goods, furniture and medical expenses Food assistance to BlazeAid and Global Care to feed the volunteers who are re-fencing and splitting wood The establishment of the ‘Yarra Valley Flying Squad’
Our members and volunteers have responded to the needs of people who have been affected by the bushfires in much the same way as they undertake their usual welfare assistance work, that is, on an individual basis according to the specific needs presented by people in need. Our interactions with people are always carried out with compassion, respect and dignity. We will be assisting and supporting these communities as they rebuild their lives in the many months and possibly years to come.
Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal Income
As the depth of the devastation was realised, the people of Australia began to give. By the end of the first day $44,920 in donations was processed and at the time of writing this report in late August, the total was more than $3.6 million. Of this, $1.38 million has already been used with the remainder to be spent on planned expenditure. The Society received offers of support from all areas of the community. Our interstate counterparts were superb and did not hesitate to promote the appeal nationally. Financial donations allow the Society the flexibility to meet specific, individual needs. The generosity of those who donated whatever amount they were able to, was overwhelming.
Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal $4,000,000 Amount raised
The Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal was established by the St Vincent de Paul Society on Monday 9 February, the first working day following the tragic bushfires.
$3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $0 1st day total ($44,920.00)
1st week total ($412,081.40)
1st month total ($1,115,358.69)
Total to date ($3,639,103.15)
Expenditure to date Cases where assistance given
Distinct households assisted
Total $ value of assistance
Northern Central Council
3,157
1,627
891,631
Gippsland Central Council
1,024
378
279,037
Eastern Central Council
160
107
108,105
North Eastern Central Council
721
446
58,520
Western Central Council
54
43
34,904
Southern Central Council
26
19
9,273
1
1
316
5,143
2,621
1,381,786
North Western Central Council Total
Nature of assistance provided*
Total $ value of assistance
64% 20% 8% 4% 3% 1% <1%
Northern Central Council Gippsland Central Council Eastern Central Council North Eastern Central Council Western Central Council Southern Central Council North Western Central Council
23% 22% 20% 19% 6% 5% 2% 2% 1%
Furniture or household items Tools or outdoor equipment Whitegoods Food or food vouchers/gift cards Other Transport (including fuel) Bills or financial assistance Clothing Firewood
* Note: this represents assistance provided by conferences. It does not include material aid distributed through Vinnies Centres.
Heartfelt thanks From one of many families rebuilding their lives The St Vincent de Paul Society received this beautiful thank you card from a family assisted by their local conference. It provides much hope and inspiration as we continue to assist bushfire affected families across Victoria.
A volunteer’s personal account Vinnies at Rowville A ferocious hurricane of fire Had devastated the treasured bush. Bush, selected for its seclusion, Its tranquility And, ironically, even for its protection. Protection for the cherished homes of so many. But the tempest stormed over the hills and Up the valleys With a cruelty never seen before, Beyond imagination, Unstoppable, without discretion And without logic. It took with it Loved ones, Homes, Precious pets, Prized family photos, Livelihoods, Means of production And neighbourhoods. It tried to break community spirit, It failed. The media went into overdrive. Day after day, reporters, visibly touched By the trauma, Analysed in depth the needs of sufferers, Of survivors trapped in recovery centres. Many without their families, “Were they still alive?” “Why can’t we return to our homes?” Angry, bewildered, lost, frustrated. Fragile, shattered lives were brought into our homes, Thrust into our lives, They could not be disregarded. We were often held captive As the stories that emerged in our family rooms, Stopped us, Transfixed us, Made us weep. News reports, Breakfast programs, Talk back radio, Banner headlines, Letters to the editor Explored and repeated stories of tragedy, Each new one seeming more traumatic than The last.
The response of the Aussie people Was swift, heartfelt and earnest. Digging into wallets And cheque books. Cupboards And homes thrown open In support of the distressed, The overwhelmed and distraught. Individuals And organisations large and small Offered help. Vinnies was one. From far and wide came an avalanche of goods. Where do we sort them? Where do we house them? How do we handle so much? What do we do? The Vinnies plea spread to radio. One man heard the plea. One of the myriad who cared, Of his huge warehouse in Rowville, he said: “I don’t need it for five weeks – It’s yours”. Goods started to arrive. Boot loads, Car loads, Ute loads, Trailer loads, Loads in horse trucks, In furniture vans In semi trailers, Even in B Doubles From the north, the south, the east and the west, Rowville, Waverley, Vermont, Diamond Creek, From Alice Springs – Alice Springs? Yes, Alice Springs. And a B Double sporting a huge sign on the back: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you Victoria From Queensland with deepest love Chinchilla Dallas Oakey Roma Toowoomba Warwick” Helpers heard the call and just appeared At the warehouse, Signed in and started work. There were uni students, People in garden clothes, in work clothes And in office clothes. Helpers came from all backgrounds, Asians, Indians, Middle Eastern and, of course, Those with Aussie heritage. ...continued
A volunteer’s personal account Vinnies at Rowville One was young - with six earings, two nose rings And a lip ring, She spent hours sorting clothes in the girls’ wear Department. A teen wore one of the fluoro safety vests, It covered her mini skirt. One helper was Asian middle aged Having burst out of a Samurai movie. All day, one of the oldies Trundled a pre-loved pram around this huge Open span structure. Collected goods from arrivals, Navigated his way along narrow walk-ways Between lines of goods Stacked higher than an Aussie Rules specky, And distributed them to the sorters. Other grey nomads, home on leave from travelling, Limped their ways with heavy loads in their Barrows, trollies and old pushers. There were new goods in unopened boxes, Some still had their labels, Some had messages of support, concern and prayers. Rows and rows and piles and piles Of bikes and prams and cots and toys. There were bags and bags and bags and bags Of clothes. New clothes, designer clothes, fine clothes. But some barely fit for cleaning rags, And then only after washing. How could people do this? Distinguished visitors arrived to look. Some weren’t even noticed. Others were followed by television crews and reporters.
Politicians demonstrating that they cared. The State Premier to add his support to the effort, Chatting to the helpers as they focused on their work. The work went on for days and weeks. But, in many ways it had just begun. So much still to be done. Classifying, Repairing, Discarding, Longer term warehousing, Selection of recipients, Distribution. Although the work goes on, Vinnies and its helpers, Along with other similar caring groups, Had added real value to the support effort. The victims of these devastating fires Will be thankful for the generosity, The organisation, The long hours, The sorting The tired feet, The aching backs, The spinning heads And the concern shown by so many people That rose to the need. They showed that Aussies do really care For each other. Bill Watson (One of the many helpers) February 2009
Anja’s story Anja and her husband Garry live in Callignee. This is their story of survival on Black Saturday. Having lost their home nine years ago to a fire, Anja and her husband Garry were living in a shed while they built a new home at Callignee in Gippsland. When Black Saturday dawned, they “felt relentless tension, sleeplessness because of the heat and a wind strength that felt ominous”. It grew hotter and hotter as they started final preparations. A fire tanker, hoses, mops, buckets and a 3,000 litre inflatable pool were in strategic places, ready for battle. The specially prepared clothes and masks they hoped they would never need to use were pulled over their tired bodies. At around 4pm, Anja and Garry’s property was under ember attack. “The world went darker and darker until it was pitch black but fire balls landed everywhere, setting things alight. At the same time the noise started, steadily increasing in volume until it resembled a jet plane,” said Anja. A fire fighter estimated that the fire approached Callignee at about one kilometre a minute. The colour of the sky changed to a glowing red as the fire got closer. Anja and Garry retreated to their shed filled with fear for: their half-built new home, the shed that was their temporary home, their five other sheds, their many animals and of course their own lives. Inside their shed home, Anja was mopping fire sparks that had found their
way through gaps around windows and the door of the shed. Anja lay on the floor, seeking oxygen to keep her alive… “that is when it hit me for the first time that we might not survive,” she said on reflection. As sheds, vehicles and anything else in the path of the fire burnt, exploded and melted, they concentrated on saving their shed home. “It felt like 20 hours but possibly it was only 20 minutes until the fire storm passed.” They fought long into the night, trying to save as much as they could. Apart from their home shed, everything else was destroyed including the new home they were only half-way through building. Months later, Anja is able to reflect on the positives that have come from her experience. “We have come to know so many wonderful people in our own community who we didn’t know, people who have helped us. The biggest lesson has been that even if nature turns against us, we are not alone.” The St Vincent de Paul Society has assisted Anja and her family following the devastation of Black Saturday. Practical needs have been met, including the provision of furniture, tank repairs, fire wood and a working bee around the property. But just as important is the moral support and friendship provided by local conference members, who are in it for the long haul.
After the Fire CD The After the Fire CD continues to raise funds for the Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal. After the Fire is a brilliant compilation CD featuring talented artists such as Renee Geyer, Sean Kelly, Kevin Welch, The Androids, Shane Howard, Marty Willson-Piper and Chocolate Starfish, just to name a few. All proceeds from the sale of the CD go directly to the Vinnies Victorian Disaster Appeal. All artists have donated their talents for this release and all other parties involved in its production have also donated their services. We thank Salt Studios and all the artists for this unique contribution. The CD is available at select Vinnies Centres, JB HiFi stores and online at www.outwiththenew.com at a cost of $20.
Thank you & acknowledgements In a time of crisis the St Vincent de Paul Society is reminded of what our people do best; work hard to help people in need. In addition to our existing committed members, volunteers, donors, staff and corporate partners who assist regularly in a variety of ways, we were overwhelmed by the number of people who contacted us to find out how they could help with the massive recovery effort. They gave what they could in time, money, second-hand goods, new goods and most of all, a kind and generous spirit. To each of you, please accept the thanks of the St Vincent de Paul Society. You have enabled us to provide assistance and support to the survivors of this tragedy and they will be forever grateful. The St Vincent de Paul Society would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this publication: Georgia Metaxas from Metaxas Photography and Peter Casamento from Casamento Photography for photographs featured throughout; Anja and Garry for sharing their story and photos; Sharon, Simon, Wilson & Harry for their thank you card; Bill Watson for his poem; the children who contributed messages of support throughout; and members and volunteers who agreed to be photographed.
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria Inc.
ABN 28 911 702 061
43 Prospect Street, Box Hill Victoria 3128 Locked Bag 4800, Box Hill Victoria 3128 Phone: 03 9895 5800 Fax: 03 9895 5850
Email: info@svdp-vic.org.au
www.vinnies.org.au
To support our good works, donate by calling 13 18 12 or visit www.vinnies.org.au